Major improvement project gears up on Routes 30/130 in Collingswood and PennsaukenNJDOT to reconstruct bridges over Cooper River and Haddon Avenue and will add new auxiliary lanes along the highway

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced the beginning of construction on a safety and operational improvement project along Routes 30/130 in Collingswood Borough and Pennsauken Township, Camden County.

“Correcting the existing roadway deficiencies along Route 30/130 will provide much needed upgrades in safety and traffic flow at this location,” said Transportation Commissioner James Simpson. “State-of-good repair projects such as this infrastructure investment improve safety, mobility and provide long-term economic benefits.”

NJDOT’s contractor, South State Inc., is scheduled to initiate preliminary construction activities including site mobilization and sign installation this week. The contractor will also begin setup for the first stage of construction, shifting traffic on Route 30/130 to the outside shoulders in each direction to establish a construction zone in the median of the highway.

The $25.7 million federally-funded project will reconstruct and improve a stretch of Route 30/130 from the PATCO rail bridge in Collingswood to just north of the North Park Drive intersection in Pennsauken, adding auxiliary lanes in both directions to facilitate better traffic flow and reduce the congestion coming in and out of Collingswood.

• The northbound highway will be widened from two travel lanes to three from Haddon Avenue over the Cooper River Bridge, and the outside shoulder will be widened. Auxiliary turn-lanes will be added at the intersections with Haddon Avenue and Maple Avenue.
• The southbound highway will be widened from two travel lanes to three from North Park Drive across the Cooper River Bridge, and the outside shoulder will be widened. A new auxiliary turn-lane will be installed at the Haddon Avenue intersection.

In addition, the existing structurally deficient Route 30/130 bridge over the Cooper River will be fully replaced and the Route 30/130 bridge over Haddon Avenue Bypass will be reconstructed to accommodate the highway widening. The intersection with North Park Drive in Pennsauken will be widened to provide new dedicated turn lanes from the side street onto Route 30/130 in each direction. A new traffic signal will be installed to accommodate the widened intersection.

A wider median consisting of a two-foot-wide concrete barrier with one-foot inside shoulders will be constructed, separating the northbound and southbound directions of the highway. New sidewalks will be installed along a 0.6-mile segment of the highway in both directions between Haddon Avenue and North Park Drive.

NJDOT will stage the construction to minimize the impacts to residents and motorists in these communities. Two lanes will be maintained on Route 30/130 between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily, utilizing traffic shifts. Single-lane closures will be allowed during overnight hours, but one lane will be maintained on the highway at all times during construction. Short term traffic detours of Haddon Avenue, Maple Avenue and South Park Drive will be required to accommodate work at these intersections during later stages of construction. Advance notification will be provided for these detours.

The project has been under development for a number of years, during which the Department initiated extensive public outreach including multiple public information centers and officials briefings. The project is being coordinated with NJ TRANSIT and local emergency responders including police and fire personnel.

The existing highway and Cooper River bridge were built in the 1920’s and the Haddon Avenue bypass bridge was built in the 1940’s. Approximately 60,000 vehicles use this section of highway every day. The project is expected to be complete in spring 2015.

“This is a complex project that will take a significant amount of time, but the Department will make every effort to keep residents, motorists and the business community informed and accommodated as best we can during construction,” Simpson said.

In 2009, NJDOT completed a $26.5 million project to eliminate the former five-legged Collingswood Circle, located just to the south of this project, with an at-grade signalized intersection.

Dynamic message signs will notify motorists of all upcoming traffic pattern changes. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org real-time travel information.